al-Razi

Iranian Muslim Philosopher

864-930

Abu Bakr Mohammad Ibn Zakariya al-Razi (864-930 A.D.)
was born at Ray, Iran. Initially, he was interested in music but later
on he learned medicine, mathematics, astronomy, chemistry and
philosophy from a student of Hunayn Ibn Ishaq, who was well
versed in the ancient Greek, Persian and Indian systems of medicine
and other subjects. He also studied under Ali Ibn Rabban. The
practical experience gained at the well-known Muqtadari Hospital
helped him in his chosen profession of medicine. At an early age
he gained eminence as an expert in medicine and alchemy, so that
patients and students flocked to him from distant parts of Asia.

He was first placed in-charge of the first Royal Hospital at Ray,
from where he soon moved to a similar position in Baghdad where he
remained the head of its famous Muqtadari Hospital for along time.
He moved from time to time to various cities, specially between Ray
and Baghdad, but finally returned to Ray, where he died around 930
A.D. His name is commemorated in the Razi Institute near Tehran.

Razi was a Hakim, an alchemist and a philosopher. In medicine,
his contribution was so significant that it can only be compared to
that of Ibn Sina. Some of his works in medicine e.g. Kitab al-
Mansoori, Al-Hawi, Kitab al-Mulooki and Kitab al-Judari wa al-
Hasabah earned everlasting fame. Kitab al-Mansoori, which was
translated into Latin in the 15th century A.D., comprised ten
volumes and dealt exhaustively with Greco-Arab medicine. Some
of its volumes were published separately in Europe. His al-Judari
wal Hasabah was the first treatise on smallpox and chicken-pox, and
is largely based on Razi's original contribution: It was translated into
various European languages. Through this treatise he became the
first to draw clear comparisons between smallpox and chicken-pox.
Al-Hawi was the largest medical encyclopaedia composed by then.
It contained on each medical subject all important information that
was available from Greek and Arab sources, and this was concluded
by him by giving his own remarks based on his experience and
views. A special feature of his medical system was that he greatly
favoured cure through correct and regulated food. This was
combined with his emphasis on the influence of psychological
factors on health. He also tried proposed remedies first on animals
in order to evaluate in their effects and side effects. He was also an
expert surgeon and was the first to use opium for anaesthesia.

In addition to being a physician, he compounded medicines
and, in his later years, gave himself over to experimental and
theoretical sciences. It seems possible that he developed his
chemistry independently of Jabir
Ibn Hayyan. He has portrayed in
great detail several chemical reactions and also given full descriptions
of and designs for about twenty instruments used in chemical
investigations. His description of chemical knowledge is in plain and
plausible language. One of his books called Kitab-al-Asrar deals
with the preparation of chemical materials and their utilization.
Another one was translated into Latin under the name Liber Experi-
mentorum, He went beyond his predecessors in dividing substances
into plants, animals and minerals, thus in a way opening the way for
inorganic and organic chemistry. By and large, this classification of
the three kingdoms still holds. As a chemist, he was the first to
produce sulfuric acid together with some other acids, and he also
prepared alcohol by fermenting sweet products.

His contribution as a philosopher is also well known. The basic
elements in his philosophical system are the creator, spirit, matter,
space and time. He discusses their characteristics in detail and his
concepts of space and time as constituting a continuum are
outstanding. His philosophica! views were, however, criticised by
a number of other Muslim scholars of the era.

He was a prolific author, who has left monumental treatises
on numerous subjects. He has more than 200 outstanding scientific
contributions to his credit, out of which about half deal with
medicine and 21 concern alchemy. He also wrote on physics, mathe-
matics, astronomy and optics, but these writings could not be
preserved. A number of his books, including Jami-fi-al-Tib, Mansoori,
al-Hawi, Kitab al-Jadari wa al-Hasabah, al-Malooki, Maqalah fi al-
Hasat fi Kuli wa al-Mathana, Kitab al-Qalb, Kitab al-Mafasil, Kitab-al-
'Ilaj al-Ghoraba, Bar al-Sa'ah, and al-Taqseem wa al-Takhsir, have
been published in various European languages. About 40 of his
manuscripts are still extant in the museums and libraries of Iran,
Paris, Britain, Rampur, and Bankipur. His contribution has greatly
influenced the development of science, in general, and medicine,
in particular.